Method for producing collectible cards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11364522-B2
Application number	US-201916709443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems of producing collectible cards are disclosed. An example method includes producing a first stack of cards including a first card type and a second card type from a single substrate sheet, separating the first stack of cards into a first sub-stack and a second sub-stack. The first sub-stack includes the first card type and the second sub-stack includes the second card type. The example method includes comparing a first top card of the first sub-stack to a first reference card and, based on the first top card being substantially similar to the first reference card, automatically transferring the first sub-stack to a first tray designated to receive the first card type.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising the steps of:
determining a first number of cards of a first card type in a first tray, a second number of cards of a second card type in a second tray, and a third number of cards of the first card type in a third tray;
when the first number satisfies a first threshold, separating a stack of cards into a first partial sub-stack, a second partial sub-stack, and a third sub-stack, the first partial sub-stack including the first card type, the second partial sub-stack including the first card type, and the third sub-stack including the second card type, the first partial sub-stack being sized not to overfill the first tray when the first partial sub-stack is positioned in the first tray; and
determining a first quality value of a first top card of the first partial sub-stack and determining a second quality value of a second top card of the second partial sub-stack when the first number satisfies the first threshold; and
in response to receiving an indication from a processor that the first quality value satisfies a second threshold, automatically transferring the first partial sub-stack to the first tray; and
in response to receiving an indication from the processor that the second quality value satisfies a third threshold, automatically transferring the second partial sub-stack to the third tray.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of producing a second stack of cards including the first card type and the second card type.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including the steps of separating the second stack of cards into a sixth sub-stack and a seventh sub-stack, the sixth sub-stack including the first card type and the seventh sub-stack including the second card type, comparing a third top card of the sixth sub-stack to a reference card, and, based on the third top card not being substantially similar to the reference card, rejecting the sixth sub-stack and not transferring the sixth sub-stack to the first tray.

4. The method of claim 3 , further including the step of separating the second stack of cards into an eighth sub-stack including the first card type and a ninth sub-stack including the first card type if the first number exceeds a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 3 , further including the step of automatically transferring the sixth sub-stack to the first tray if the third top card is substantially similar to the reference card.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sixth sub-stack includes a fourth number of cards equal to the threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6 , further including the step of generating an alert indicative of the first tray being full.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of comparing the third top card of the sixth sub-stack to the reference card includes the step of comparing quality characteristics of the third top card to quality characteristics of the reference card.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cards comprise collectible cards.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first card type is different than the second card type.

11. The method of claim 1 , further including the steps of producing a second stack of cards including a third card type and a fourth card type, separating the second stack of cards into a fourth sub-stack and a fifth sub-stack, the fourth sub-stack including the third card type and the fifth sub-stack including the fourth card type, comparing a third top card of the fourth sub-stack to a reference card, and based on the third top card being substantially similar to the reference card, automatically transferring the fourth sub-stack to a fourth tray designated to receive the third card type.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first card type is different than the third card type.

13. The method of claim 1 , further including the steps of, when the first number does not satisfy the first threshold, separating the stack of the cards into a fourth sub-stack and a fifth sub-stack, the fourth sub-stack including the first card type, the fifth sub-stack including the second card type and loading the fourth sub-stack in the first tray.

Assignees

• Donnelley & Sons Co

Inventors

• Eastwood David
• Benson Harold Aldridge
• Cholewinski Joe

Classifications

• B65H33/02 Primary

  by moving a blade or like member into the pile · CPC title

• B65H43/04

  detecting, or responding to, presence of faulty articles (B65H43/08 takes precedence; diverting faulty articles from main streams B65H29/62) · CPC title

• B65H39/00

  Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs (combinations of piling and depiling operations, of interest apart from the single operation of piling or depiling B65H83/00; machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together sheets or signatures B42C1/00) · CPC title

• B65H2511/413

  of image · CPC title

• B65H33/14

  by diverting batches to separate receivers {(B65H33/16 takes precedence; article switches or diverters B65H29/58)} · CPC title